Operation: N.O.T.I.C.E.-M.E. (Chapter 4)
Rescue (Take Two) “Alright, team, we’re all familiar with the plan, so let’s set to work,” Numbuh 1 encouraged. He pointed to Numbuh 3 who had a fluffy pink and white helmet on: “Go down in front and distract the teenagers guarding the door while Numbuh 2 takes care of the ones inside.” The Japanese girl locked and loaded her T.H.U.M.P.E.R. (Teddy Hurling Ultra Microwave Powered Ejection Rifle) and nodded. She hopped off the roof with a squeal of delight and landed on top of a dark haired teenage boy. “Hi, guys!” she said happily, “Guess what time it is.” He and the other teen girl exchanged glances and shrugged. Numbuh 3 became serious and held up her teddy bear launcher: “It’s time for you to go on break.” Then she shot at them wildly until they ran away screaming down the street. Once they were gone, the little girl looked up to the roof and saluted to her leader. Numbuh 1 turned to Numbuh 2 next and signaled for him to take action. His teammate gave him a thumb’s up and removed the escape door at his feet. “Come on, Numbuh 4 – I’ll take the second level while you get ground level,” he said. The short Aussie boy grinned and jumped into the building with two M.U.S.K.E.T.s (Mustard Using Sidearm Kicks Enemy Tail) attached to his wrists. Following him was his best friend with a few skunk-in-a-can bombs that he tossed onto the second level platforms. He snapped on a gas mask as they exploded, sending the unprepared teenagers in a frenzy to escape. Just as the last one left, he saluted to Numbuh 1 and waited for Numbuh 4 to finish taking care of the ground level guards. The valiant blonde boy successfully neutralized his targets and smiled proudly at their accomplishments. Numbuh 593 looked to his right where Numbuh 666 was standing: “Cover me, pal.” The dark operative nodded, so he jumped down and summersaulted across the floor; he checked his sides as he rose to his feet. He heard his teammate land behind him and jogged down the empty hallway, passing cell rooms with kids begging for help. He stopped and turned halfway around and whistled for another operative to join them. Numbuh 5 caught up to them with her S.P.I.C.E.R. (Stingy Pepper Infused Cannon Enflames Retinas) and focused her attention to the other sector leader. “I want you and Numbuh 666, here, to free the kids in these cells,” he commanded. As he continued walking, he was held back upon hearing his comrade ask, “But what about you?” “I’m going to find Numbuh 652,” he replied. Under his breath, he added, “and her stupid little friend.” Then he headed down the hallway in search of the girl in a determined stance. Her safety was more important to him than his. Within minutes he spotted a piece of red ribbon stuck in a door hinge to one of the cells – his bionic eye scanned it and confirmed that it belonged to the former KND kid that she had originally tried to save. “Numbuh 652,” he called out, “Are you okay?” There was no response; he knelt down on his hands and struck the door with both feet, denting it enough for him to push it down without further strain. In the room – since the crashing door scared her – Numbuh 652 clung to ex-Numbuh 19th Century with wide eyes. While she was clearly startled, her leader noticed that the boy she was with looked as if he welcomed being held like this. He narrowed his eyes at him and gestured that they follow him out. “We haven’t got much time,” he explained, keeping an eye on the former operative, “so let’s move out.” Numbuh 652 released her companion and rushed out into the hallway, not stopping for any reason; she saw Numbuh 4 and he lead her back to Numbuh 1 who was waiting directly under the hole through the roof for them. “Hold onto me, Numbuh 652,” he said. She hugged his neck and he activated the J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S. (Jet Engine Thrusted Airlift Boosts Operatives Over Tough Stuff) in his shoes. They shot up through the hole and landed safely on the roof a moment later. When she let go, he tossed down a rope for the others and waited. While Numbuhs 2, 4, 5, 666, and all the rescued prisoners climbed, Numbuh 593 stayed back with the former KND kid; they walked down the hall and talked – they had nothing to run from. “I saw that little expression of yours,” he started casually. “Oh, that?” the other boy chuckled, “That was nothing, I assure you.” Numbuh 593’s bionic eye shifted internal circuits and began to record the auditory that followed. “What exactly happened between you and Numbuh 652?” he interrogated, trying to hold back his anger. At first, the boy was confused, so he said, “you know her as Nora.” Ex-Numbuh 19th Century shrugged, looking the other way to hide the smug grin on his face, and contemplated the manner of his response. “It started with us learning each other’s status followed by her cuddling me in our sleep, and…” he paused for the suspense. Numbuh 593 grabbed the red bow on his chest and lifted him off his feet: “Then what, short guy?” “If you must know, all we did was almost kiss…” He dropped the boy, utterly shocked by his statement – he stopped recording and speechlessly continued towards the rope ahead. Out of nowhere he felt a hand on his shoulder and gasped when he knew who it was: Father himself had found them. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Kids Next Door,” he said nonchalantly. He lifted the boy into the air and let his free hand catch fire, moving it dangerously close to his face. “I thought I made it clear to those teenagers that absolutely no one escapes from this Children’s Prison!” The flames in his hand doubled in size. Numbuh 593 caught sight of ex-Numbuh 19th Century; he was running away screaming to his dismay. “Coward!” he yelled after him. Then he looked at Father with his eye flared up – his bionic eye turned red – and he aimed his chicken pox gun directly at his head. The silhouetted man, caught off-guard, couldn’t react soon enough to the boy’s rage. “I’m not gonna be stuck in this place while some boy from the eighteen hundreds tries to win over my best friend!” he cried. Instead of firing a chicken at him though, he whacked Father squarely in the jaw with his weapon. The villain dropped him and rubbed his sore face while he sprinted towards the rope. Remembering that he wore a jetpack at all times, he turned it on and jumped into the air, but before ascending to the roof he reached down and grabbed the former operative by the caplet at the back of his neck. While he struggled and gasped for air, he paid him no mind – he even knocked his head against the side of the hole to the roof before turning off his jetpack just for his own amusement. “Don’t you know how to fly straight? That hurt!” Numbuh 593 smirked when they set foot on the roof with the rest of the kids and let go of his unwanted acquaintance. He saw his best friend and reached his hand towards her. “Numbuh 652, I’m so happy to see you -” “Thanks for saving me, Numbuh 593,” she interrupted, giving him a warm hug. He beamed and wrapped his arms around her, stealing a glance at ex-Numbuh 19th Century for his reaction. The boy rolled his eyes and huffed, putting his fists on his hips which gave the leader of Sector R a sense of accomplishment. “Don’t worry, Numbuh 19th Century,” said Numbuh 1 as he approached him, “we’ll have you staying with us in our tree house until we can find a place that best suits your needs.” While both seemed content with the idea, Numbuh 4 pretended to kill himself in the background – no one paid attention to him. Author's Notes This might be the only chapter in this story without a mid-page transition to another party. The events of this rescue were rewritten and analyzed about four times; there are two crutial elements, so hopefully you picked up on them. (One is very subtle foreshadowing for the future.) Chapter 5 is located here. Chapter 3 is back here. Category:Fanfictions Category:Numbuh 404 Files